This article was updated on 07/07/2023, and a new method was added; the air fryer.
Let me guess. You’ve just been defeated by a monster Thai feast. Or maybe you’re being sensible and planning your meals for the next week.
Either way, I’m going to tell you the best way of reheating pad thai.
I’ve experimented with every reheating technique, to find out which ones delivered the freshest, tastiest, and least dry pad thai.
In a rush?
The best way to reheat pad thai is in a frying pan. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan until it’s shimmering. Add the pad thai along with a splash of liquid such as water or sauce. Fry the pad thai for 2-3 minutes or until piping hot. Serve immediately for best results.
How I tested reheating pad thai
I ordered some pad thai from my local Thai restaurant, had one portion for my dinner (I couldn’t order it and not have any!), and put the rest in the fridge overnight.
The next day, I tested three different ways of reheating the pad thai:
- The stove (best)
- The microwave (good if you’re in a rush)
- The oven (good for large batches)
- Bonus method: the air fryer
Remove big bits of meat
If your pad thai has big chunks of chicken or shrimp in it, it’s a good idea to chop these up before reheating it. Making the chunks smaller will ensure they heat all the way through quickly.
How to reheat pad thai on the stove
Time: 3-4 minutes
Rating: 9/10
- Put the pad thai in the microwave for 5 seconds to soften the noodles (optional).
- Gently prise the noodles apart with a fork so they’re easy to stir when you start heating them in the pan.
- Heat some oil in your pan/wok on a high heat until it’s shimmering (peanut oil is a good choice for pad thai).
- Add the pad thai to the pan along with a tablespoon of water or extra sauce.
- Stir the pad thai constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until it’s piping hot.
Rice noodles get really stuck together in the fridge, which makes them hard to stir because they’re all stuck in one big clump. Microwaving the noodles for five seconds before adding them to the pan solves this problem by loosening them up.
You can also put the noodles in a sandwich bag and submerge the bag in warm water for a few seconds, then gently press the noodles apart with your hands.
Adding water or extra sauce to the pan helps to rehydrate dry noodles, and you can also consider adding extra vegetables or flavorings like chili.
Psst… for best results, don’t overcrowd your pan. Overcrowding can lead to uneven heating and mushy noodles.
Results: My skillet-reheated pad thai was really nice. The noodles weren’t mushy, and the flavor of the pad thai was still there. With other methods, the flavor was a bit flat. I think the high heat of the stove re-invigorated the sauce and the seasonings, bringing them back to life.
How to reheat pad thai in the microwave
Time: 1-2 minutes
Rating: 6/10
- Put your pad thai in a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the noodles.
- Cover the bowl with a lid, leaving a gap for steam to escape. Or use plastic wrap with a few holes poked in it.
- Heat the pad thai on 50% power for 30 seconds before taking it out and stirring.
- Heat in further 30 seconds intervals until the pad thai is piping hot.
The microwave is a harsh heating method, and used in the wrong way can ruin a delicate dish such as a pad thai. Overheating it will leave you with mushy noodles and a split, oily sauce.
To prevent this from happening, use your microwave on 50% power and heat the pad thai in short intervals. Checking the pad thai regularly significantly reduces the chances of you overheating it.
Results: My pad thai was okay out of the microwave. I stopped heating it as soon as I thought it was hot enough, so the noodles still had a bit of bite (though not much). However, the flavors were a bit muted. It’s okay if it’s your only option, but the stove is better.
How to reheat pad thai in the oven
Time: 7-10 minutes
Rating: 7/10
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Put the pad thai in the microwave for 30 seconds to loosen up the noodles (optional).
- Spread your pad thai out on a baking tray and add a tablespoon of water per serving.
- Cover with foil.
- Heat in the oven for 7-10 minutes, depending on how much pad thai you have. Check the pad thai after the first 5 minutes to decide if it needs longer.
The oven doesn’t seem like an obvious choice for reheating pad thai, but it can be handy if you have a big batch to reheat.
Just make sure to spread the noodles out as much as possible so they reheat quicker. You want to minimize the amount of time they spend in the oven.
Results: the noodles were noticeably mushier after they came out of the oven, so I don’t recommend this method unless you have lots of pad thai to reheat and you’d have to do several batches on the stove.
Bonus method: the air fryer
To prevent drying out, add a splash of water or sauce to your pad thai and cover it with foil. Cook at 350°F (180°C) for 3-5 minutes. The air fryer produced similar results to the oven, but it was quicker.
How to store pad thai
To store leftover pad thai, wait for it to cool to room temperature before putting it in an airtight container and keeping it in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you have any extra sauce, store this in a separate container.
The pad thai must be at room temperature (or close to it) before you store it. If it’s not, you’ll get condensation which will turn the noodles mushy.
The noodles will stick together in the fridge. There’s no avoiding this.
But luckily, it’s pretty easy to sort your sticky noodles out. You just need to zap the pad thai in the microwave for 4-5 seconds to loosen the noodles before reheating it with your chosen method.
Can you freeze pad thai?
I don’t recommend freezing pad thai. The noodles and the vegetables will lose their texture in the freezer, and the dish will turn into a sloppy mess when you reheat it. It will still be edible, but it won’t be appetizing.
If you do want to freeze your pad thai, put it in a heavy-duty freezer bag and squeeze as much air out of it as you can. Any air pockets will increase the risk of freezer burn so you want to eliminate them. The pad thai will stay at the best quality for around a month.
To thaw the pad thai, leave it in the fridge overnight or rest it in a bowl of cold water for half an hour.
Related: Can You Freeze Rice Noodles?
The BEST Way To Reheat Pad Thai [Tested Methods]
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 portion pad thai
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 splash liquid water or sauce
Instructions
- Put the pad thai in the microwave for 5 seconds to soften the noodles (optional).
- Gently prise the noodles apart with a fork so they’re easy to stir when you start heating them in the pan.
- Heat some oil in your pan/wok on a high heat until it’s shimmering (peanut oil is a good choice for pad thai).
- Add the pad thai to the pan along with a tablespoon of water or extra sauce.
- Stir the pad thai constantly for 2-3 minutes or until it’s piping hot.
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